The issue of Marian apparitions in Medjugorje stirs considerable controversy among the faithful and those outside the Church. Some are convinced of the events' authenticity, while others harbor significant doubts.

Two simple words to certify history. Nihil Obstat. Nothing Hinders. It took 43 years of fierce disputes and back-and-forth for the Vatican to give the green light to the controversial phenomenon

The Marian apparitions in Medjugorje stir considerable controversy among the faithful and those outside the Church. Some are convinced of the authenticity of the events, while others have significant doubts.

While the Vatican did not confirm that the Marian apparitions were real, it recognized that the devotion of the faithful to the site is undeniable.

While offering an overall favorable judgment on the Marian apparitions and devotions associated with the Medjugorje phenomenon in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Vatican nevertheless said in a new document released Thursday that some issues still need to be clarified.

The Vatican issued a long-awaited note on the alleged apparitions at Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It did not say the apparitions were authentic but acknowledged spiritual fruit.

The issue of Marian apparitions in Medjugorje stirs considerable controversy among the faithful and those outside the Church. Some are convinced of the authenticity of the events, while others have significant doubts.

Catholic worshipers who claim to have seen and spoken to the Virgin Mary at a Bosnian landmark received mixed messages from the Vatican on Thursday after the Church refused to say whether their visions were real — while still supporting worship at the site.